MrClemson8

I've read on this board repeatedly that the Max will go to sh*t on Regular Gas.

I'm feeling pinched in the budget. Will it hurt my car to run Regular?

I've noticed that it seems to decrease my acceleration and gas mileage when I run on regular.

I plan on keeping this car for the next 3-4 years. Should I continue to run Premium if I want it to stay in good condition?

Thanks, I know this gets posted every few weeks, but the search feature was down.

MrClemson8
(2000 SE) No Cool Mods.

ghostrider17

iTrader: (6)

If you put it in simple terms, regular is probably .20cents per gallon cheaper than premium.

Multiply it by 17 you get $3.40 EXTRA per fill-up.

You're talking about a large Starbucks Coffee, or maybe a two tacos and drink at Taco Bell.

Do you REALLy want to skimp on your gas, or can you pinch the pennies elsewhere?

I learned my lesson last week -- never again will I put cheap gas thru my Max.

I'll go without soap or something...

gr

NewLoveI30

I know! Gas is getting rediculous. I am up to about $2.60/gal.

Eventhough it sux, I will never put anything below 91 in my tank.

Oh, and Ghost. If it gets that bad you can always shower at your GF house

MrClemson8

But I guess I want to know, what damage do I risk to the Max by putting in cheap gas?

What are the consequences to the engine? I know it slightly diminishes performance, but I doubt it will ruin my car. Will running Premium Fuel make the car's engine last longer?

And btw, what happened last week when you "learned your lesson with cheap gas?" Just curious.

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

chances are it won't do as much damage to your car as people cry about...

minimum of 91 grade is suggested but you can get away with lower grade of gas.. higher octane rating is supposed to prevent detonation.. but our cars are equipped with knock sensors which will supress this..

seriously, if you try it, it isn't so bad..
long term, it may cause some premature wear.. but i'm talking very long term...
2-5 years is not so bad with regular amounts of driving..
and while gas is expensive, you can switch it up every now and then to save some $ until it goes down...

but yeah, the difference in price is not that great..

NewLoveI30

Unfortunately the Knock Sensor only does something (retards timing/kills power) AFTER it senses detonation. So the knock sensor just prevents further damage from happening. Even the first time you get detonation it is bad.

My suggestion is just to suck it up and brake bank. Or try to drive less.

Ammi

iTrader: (26)

Just put premium every other tank if you are tight on budget

Quicksilver

iTrader: (1)

If you're going to drive, at least give it the stuff it deserves.

bgates1654

If you are worried about gas prices just try to conserve. Go no more than 60 on the highway. No more fast starts or acceleration. Turn your car off if you are going to sit in one spot for more than 30 seconds. You will be surprised how much more you can get out of your tank if you ease off on the agressive driving.

r_wayden

Your driving habits can reduce the chances of detination when running lower octane. Gentle acceleration and try to avoid lugging it (especially up a hill) and you'll probably be OK.....but then what's the point of owning a fairly sporty sedan? Get the good stuff and enjoy your car.

Ammi

iTrader: (26)

Don't forget to run your AC less and inflate your tires properly

kklier

I decided to try running Regular Unleaded when I first got my maxima...The gas mileage went downhill, the performance was slightly degraded, and it would still knock under load or heavy acceleration. I don't ever plan on doing that again. However, I have started to adopt some of these thoughts by SteVTEC!

maximo-SE

iTrader: (7)

premium or super for me. I rather pay a bit more now, then suffer long term problems with my max. IMHO

Galo

Paying the princely price of $2.53 for Chevron premium here in Oregon, on my next-to-last fill-up I decided to see what would happen if I drove differently, meaning
- Shifting up at lower RPMs (like 2200-2500) and using more throttle to achieve the same rate of acceleration than when revving to 2900-3000 but with less throttle.
- Shutting off the engine on the looooooooong lights (easy for me since I'm stick)
- starting in second if I'm stopped on a well-sloped downhill light.
- if just cruising on flat roads where the speed of traffic prevents me from going faster, shifting into 5th at 45 mph
- Forcing myself to coast earlier to stop lights/signs. Not in neutral, mind you...just increasing my 'engine braking' time versus using my brakes more/closer to the stopping point

Where I normally get 300-325 miles per 14-15 gallon tankful, I got 349.6, which is close to a 10% improvement in gas mileage..not trivial by any means.

BTW, the 349.6 miles also included several spirited runs to near-redline as I do often during my back-road commute

maximo-SE

iTrader: (7)

wish i had manual!

DAP

Regular gas will not hurt it if you don't drive with the pedal to the metal. I have used it sometimes and have not noticed any knocking or decrease in fuel mileage.

Virus

iTrader: (1)

When the ECU retards your timing your gas mileage will go downhill enough to negate any savings from the lower cost.

shelland

Something that I discovered - shop around. Most stations in my area have 92 octane for Premium, and it is normally $.15-$.20 more per gallon than regular unleaded. I have found 2 stations that are not too far out of the way that carry 91 octane for their Premium, and only charge about $.05 more per gallon.

pruizgarcia

iTrader: (1)

Got to shop around around for gas and drive conservatively now. Prices here are $ 2.17 and climbing for the 93.

Pedro

Built2prfctn

Well i have been using nothing but 92 seems to do the trick for me
also i only use Amaco or BP gas .. the best stuff.. Im from jersey and premium is up to 2.10 a gallon ****in bush

Lawrenceismynam

iTrader: (1)

WTF!!! I can't express how much I hate paying for gas at these prices

† ErV †

Use premium. People automatically complain without ever doing the math between the cost of the different grades.

If you had a fleet of 1000 vehicles, then yes, that will add up. But you really have no excuse to put in the cheap stuff.

Nissan says 'recommended' because they know all the cheapos will not even look at a car if they cannot pour in the cheapest thing they can find.

/semi rant

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

I hate the prices too.. but between regular and premium..
the $2-3 difference per tank of gas is really insignificant..

just cut back some other way.. you can think of ways to save 2 bucks during the week. Bring lunch from home once a week.. go out less, drink 1 less beer when you go get hammered with your friends Downgrade to a cheaper kind of beer..

But if you're looking to save 2-3 bucks that bad, it's sad

6spmax

Hey that's going to add almost $150 a year to the cost of owning the car. That's $150 that could have gone to the addition of a turbocharger.

pruizgarcia

iTrader: (1)

It does add up once you do the math. At 18-19k miles a year, it adds to about over $325+ a year at current prices. Ouch...

Pedro

AKM2k5

according to cnn, gas prices will surge yet again...

Trance Artur

iTrader: (2)

If the gas prices are really hurting you, then sell the max and get a civic.

dannodotcom

You bought a Max knowing it is supposed to use premium gas, there is one main reason for this, the higher compression ratio of the cylinders. This gives more HP output per CC, but only IF you use the recommended gas in your car. Yes the car has a knock sensor that will retard your timing AFTER it senses knock. Another thing, using premium gas will improve your gas mileage as your engine is able to use the higher power available from the premium gas. So in reality, it will probably cost you only slightly more to fill up with premium than regular. Treat your car right and use premium gas, your car will thank you for it!

Dannodotcom

darrelfsu

Here in Fayetteville, NC, Gas Prices increase 2 cents everyday. Premium is 2.19/gal

Since lighten up on the throttle, I've noticed my mileage increase. Granted I always run the climate control, it doesn't SEEM to have a major impact on gas mileage. I didn't think I could manage to driving conservatively, but I actually enjoy the luxury side of my car more now.

Another gas saving tip is stop riding around to find the cheapest gas pricest. By the time you find the cheapest prices, you've spent all that you're trying to save.

eperalta

Yeah, but if you upgrade to turbocharger you will definitely need to run premium gas anyways.

To original poster:
1. Change driving habits (if necessary).
2. If you smoke, drink, eat reduce consumption.

Don't treat your Maxima like an ugly step child. Your vehicle deserves top quality fuel, and other lubricants.

schmatt

You know, if you add up that $2-3/gallon savings over 10 years, that's $1500! And over 50 years that's $7500!

C'mon, it's only $2-3/week or so. It's worth it. Just save all your spare change, and I'll bet you come up with $2-3.

Besides I have definitely noticed a gas mileage increase between Chevron Supreme, which is what I use now, and the cheaper gasses. Which may not amount to the total difference, but it reduces that additional cost.

20V6

Jeeeez, you yankee's are cheap! I pay $5,77/gal for 98 octane... no way I'm putting in the cheaper stuff anyway!

Kojiro_FtT

Dude if you are sweating $3 a week then maybe it's time to trade the car for a Sentra. You can save money other places so much easier and faster.

When I am tight on cash, this is how I save, and each one is far more effective than $3 on cheap gas:

1. Quit smoking. I quit 2 years ago, that's about $3,560 I've saved.
2. Bring your lunch. ~$5 a day.
3. In fact, skip going out to eat all together. Do you really need to eat $30 worth of sushi? Or $15 worth of chicken wings?
4. Definately skip the bar! $4 a drink? C'mon! A 6-pack is $7.
5. Make the GF drive when you go out, lol.
6. Rent a movie. $4.50 for a rental vs. $7.50 each person at a theater, plus $6 for popcorn and $5 for soda.
7. If you absolutely MUST go to the theater, go matinee and skip the soda and candy.
8. Stop browsing Maxima.org and eBay! If you don't browse them, then you won't feel the need to buy anything.
9. Rent a video game instead of buying one. Or play an old game you haven't played in a while. The new games will always be there, and they will be cheaper down the road. In fact, I just played X-Com again last week and this week I started FFVII again.

These work for me and I still get premium gas every week.

nismotech

I totally agree with what Kojiro just said, Maxima wouldn't be a "Maxima" without premium fuel. I would cut back cost on what he just mentioned and give my Max premium fuel. The Max would still get you from point A to Point B without premium but just don't work the engine hard ( Say stay below 3500RPM) then you will be fine.

00MAXI

Yeah but we have to actually drive places though. We have a big country. I drive 360 miles every 3 days so I have to fill up a lot. You prolly fill up once a week or once every two weeks. You have higher octane gas too. Our premium is 91.

20V6

Yes I know.... the US really is big!!!!
Actually our 98oct = your 93-94oct, our 95oct = your 90-91oct, our 91oct = your 87oct. Different types of measurement...

Zero Deuce SE

You are so right Sir. Most of us that complain about the price of gas are cheap. I am not complaining because I have travelled to many countries that pay a whole lot more than I do. I put 92-93 octane in my Max every time I fill it up. I have done that with all 3 that I have owned and plan on continuing that trend.

MaximaMan77

You've got it backwards. Even if the KS's don't retard timing you're still going to get worse gas milage. Which means you're going to stop at the pump more often. In the end you will spend more money, probably more than $325, on gas than you would have if you'd just stuck with 91+.

Zero Deuce SE

Here is a quote from the NIssan factory service manual for the knock sensor system. "The knock sensor retard system is designed only for emergencies. The basic ignition timing is programmed within the anti-knocking zone, if recommended fuel is used under dry conditions. The retard system does not operate under normal driving conditions. If engine knocking occurs, the knock sensor monitors the condition. The signal is transmitted to the ECM. The ECM retards the ignition timing to eliminate the knocking condition."
IMHO that means that if you are using the lower octane fuel, you are overworking the knock sensor circuit and causing unecessary wear and tear on your engine.

Teufelhunden

iTrader: (8)

im a cheap bastard and i try to give my max premium gas once in a while, is it okay to mix the gas? i can hardly afford the car but i love it so much, i sacrifice going out, but i love to go out and show off my max, whats the point of getting the high performing sedan when your driving like a granny? i do hate the gas prices but i have to bite the bullet and sacrifice for my max, thats all therse to it, i do complain, but who doesnt??